by jboullion | Jul 21, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Mark Pitsch in The Capital Times:
In a first step toward building a Midwestern high-speed rail line connecting Madison with Chicago and the Twin Cities, Wisconsin is buying two passenger trains from a Spanish company that will hire state workers to assemble and maintain them.
The $47.5 million purchase is expected to create 80 jobs initially, and company officials said Friday they are considering assembling the trains at Janesville’s General Motors production plant, which closed in April idling 1,200 workers. Sites in Milwaukee are also under consideration.
Gov. Jim Doyle, local officials and transportation experts said the rail line would spur leisure travel to and from Madison and link the city, home to UW-Madison and its technology-related research, to the economies of Minneapolis-St. Paul and Chicago.
“It’s very exciting for our state, for the economic growth of our region,” said Teresa Adams, a UW-Madison engineering professor who runs the Midwest Regional University Transportation Center. “It’s certainly good for our economy. There are a lot of intellectual hubs to be connected.”
by jboullion | Jul 20, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee are trying to figure out ways to make power from wind keep flowing even when the wind isn’t blowing.
One phase of that research received a $422,266 grant Thursday from the U.S. Department of Energy for a project that could boost the efficiency of wind turbines by relieving some of the wear and tear on turbine gear boxes.
The engineering school research is taking place in phases – with the final leg studying the use of batteries to capture wind power generated when demand for electricity is low, storing it and then sending it to the grid when demand for power rises.
“What happens is that the wind speed is very high and we have very good wind speed after midnight, and very early morning when there is not much load (demand) on the grid,” said Adel Nasiri, an assistant professor in the electrical engineering department. “In the afternoon when there is high demand, there is no wind.”
The UWM research is another example of efforts under way in the Milwaukee area to create an economic-development cluster centered on energy storage and advanced batteries. Others include partnerships between Eaton Corp. and ZBB Corp. of Menomonee Falls, and work by Johnson Controls Inc. in Glendale and its joint venture partner, Saft, to develop lithium-ion batteries for plug-in hybrid cars.
by jboullion | Jul 17, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by Governor Doyle:
MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle today announced the creation of a new nonprofit organization, the Wisconsin Climate Change Action Initiative, Inc. (WCCAI), to build on Wisconsin’s strong efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Formation of the nonprofit organization was recommended in the report from Governor Doyle’s Task Force on Global Warming as a way to build upon Wisconsin’s national leadership on climate change.
“The Wisconsin Climate Change Action Initiative brings together leaders of business, government, non-governmental advocacy organizations and the research community to increase voluntary conservation practices that will save money and have positive environmental impacts,” Governor Doyle said. “As we continue to move forward on the recommendations of my Global Warming Task Force will we be building our economy with clean and renewable energy, growing green jobs, and finding savings through energy conservation.”
WCCAI will focus on providing education, practical advice and expertise to residents, communities and businesses on simple, effective steps to reduce our carbon footprint, without affecting comfort or productivity. This effort will complement existing programs like the Focus on Energy Schools and Government Program and the Wisconsin Energy Independent Community Partnership which are designed to achieve Governor Doyle’s goal of getting 25 percent of our electricity and 25 percent of our transportation fuels from renewable sources by 2025.
“This is an exciting endeavor that will provide long term benefits to Wisconsin,” said Roy Thilly, WPPI Energy CEO. “As a co-chair of the Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming, I appreciate very much Governor Doyle’s leadership on the issue of climate change and his commitment to this important initiative.”
“Providing opportunities for environmental education informed citizens empowered with the info they need to make informed decisions about their future,” said Tia Nelson, co-chair of the Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming.
Initial funding will be provided through a $5 million contribution from We Energies, Madison Gas & Electric and WPPI Energy under an agreement with Clean Wisconsin and Sierra Club to resolve outstanding permit issues related to the Elm Road power plants under construction in Oak Creek.
by jboullion | Jul 16, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
As an energy producer, wind is fickle: Maybe it’ll blow when you need it. Maybe not.
So the race is on to find more efficient ways to store the electricity wind produces when it’s blowing, so the lights can stay on when it isn’t. A Milwaukee company is smack in the middle of that race – a player in a high-tech sector that local economic strategists hope will become a growth engine for the region.
“Wind has incredible potential to be a significant portion of the nation’s energy supply,” said Kevin Dennis, vice president of sales and marketing for ZBB Energy Corp. “But to be a reliable resource, it ideally needs to be coupled with energy storage and to be flexible in how the power is managed and controlled out to the grid.”
A joint venture between ZBB Energy and Eaton Corp. earlier this month shipped its first rechargeable energy storage system for the renewable power sector to Ireland, where it is being installed alongside a wind turbine that is already providing half the power needed by the Dundalk Institute of Technology.
While Milwaukee’s highest-profile economic development strategy has centered on freshwater technology during the past year, a secondary effort seeks to make the seven-county Milwaukee area a center for advanced battery research, development and manufacturing – exactly the type of work already going on at ZBB and several other area companies.
In addition to the Ireland deal, the ZBB-Eaton partnership recently received an order from Oregon State University for a similar system that will be used as part of research by the engineering school into ways to compensate for the variability of wind power.
“Alternative energy has got everybody’s attention. But part and parcel with that is batteries, because you have to have someplace to store energy, and the battery component is just critical,” said Jim Paetsch of the Milwaukee 7, the regional economic development group.
The biggest local player in the field is Johnson Controls Inc. in Glendale, where research and development work is proceeding on lithium-ion batteries for hybrid-electric and plug-in hybrid cars, including those being developed by Mercedes, BMW and Ford.
In Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood, another company, C&D Technologies, is investing $26 million in upgrades to a battery factory once owned by Johnson.
by jboullion | Jul 15, 2009 | Uncategorized
Under a new program announced by We Energies, schools, nonprofits, and units of government can apply for grants equal to the amount awarded by Focus on Energy for a wind project over 20 kW and not more than 100 kW:
This program assists qualified We Energies electric customers (not-for-profit, schools and units of government) with the installation of a wind electric system over 20 kW and not more than 100 kW. Customer incentives are provided from We Energies Renewable Energy Development (RED) Program. The We Energies incentive amount for this limited program is a 100% match of the determined reward from the Focus on Energy 2009 Wind Electric Implementation Grant for Schools, Nonprofits and Units of Government to a maximum of $150,000.
